A Cartoon Christmas Carol
by Blazefire19
Summary: Cluny the Scourge hates Christmas. But he'll have second thoughts when three familiar ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve night!
1. Stave 1: Cluny the Scourge

**Hello! This is my first spoof parody writing with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I hope you like it! Read the cast first before starting. (Disclaimer: All content belongs to their respective studios and Charles Dickens. I don't own anything!)**

 **Happy Reading! :)**

Blazefire17's The Cartoon Christmas Carol

Starring:

Discord (My Little Pony) as Bob Cratchit

Tigress (Kung Fu Panda) as Emily Cratchit

Humphrey (Alpha and Omega) as Charles Dickens

Nico (Rio) as Himself

Rex (Toy Story) as Fozziwig

and Cluny the Scourge as Scrooge

Songs by Paul Williams

Original Score by Miles Goodman

Written by Blazefire17

The scene opens in London, where people and animals are getting ready for the big Christmas celebration on the 25th. Sellers were selling some certain Christmas goods.

"That was a fine meal, wasn't it Bugs?" asked a black duck named Daffy.

"What should we do now?" Bugs Bunny asked.

"Lets have, uh, lunch!" suggested Daffy.

"Oh, such a good idea!" said Bugs, and the two walked off.

People bustled through the streets and children were snowball fighting, building snowmen, and just running around chasing each other. In one area of the street a wolf and a canary were selling apples and candy of many kinds. They were called Humphrey and Nico.

"Get your Christmas apples and candy!" called Nico at the passerbys. "We got Red Delicious, Macintosh, chocolate, and gummy!" Humphrey yelled as well. "Tuppence a piece, while they last!" said Nico, munching on a candy bar. Humphrey noticed this. "They won't last long the way you're eating them!" he said angrily.

"Hey, I'm creating a scarcity, it drives the prices up." Nico answered while still eating the candy and apples. "Nico!" snapped Humphrey, but was interrupted when Nico cleared his throat and nods his head at the 'audience'.

"Hello! And welcome to Blazefire17's version of the Muppet Christmas Carol." Humphrey greeted. "I'm here to tell the story."

"And I'm here for the food," said Nico, munching on an apple this time.

"My name is Blazefire17," Humphrey introduced.

"And my name is Nico the Canary. Hey! Wait a second, you're _not_ Blazefire17!" Nico pointed out to Humphrey. "I am, too!" Humphrey demanded. "No, a wolf Blazefire17 who hangs out with a yellow bird?" said Nico sarcastically. "Absolutely!" said Humphrey. Nico shook his head. "Blazefire17 is a Dragon Rider with 24 dragons, a exceptional movie memorizer, and a great typist, a genius!" Nico said. "Oh, you are too kind, Nico!" Humphrey said, taking it as a compliment. "Why should I believe you?" Nico muttered. "Because I know the story of a Christmas Carol like the back of my paw!" Humphrey insisted. "Prove it!" Nico dared him.

"All right then," said Humphrey, holding one of his paws out while looking away. "Uh, there's a little mole under my paw, and a-a scar on my wrist from when I-" "No, no, no! Don't tell us your paw, tell us the story!" Nico corrected Humphrey. "Oh, Thank you, yes!" Humphrey said.

"The Marleys were dead, to begin with," Humphrey narrated. "Uh...Pardon me?" Nico asked in a scared voice. "That's how the story begins, Nico. The Marleys were dead to begin with. As dead as a doornail." Humphrey explained.

"That's a good beginning, kind of creepy and whoo! Spooky." Complimented Nico.

"Thank you, Nico." Humphrey said, smiling. "You're welcome, Blaze." Nico answered back.

"In life, the Marleys were business partners to a shrewd moneylender named, Cluny the Scourge. You will meet him as he comes around that corner," Humphrey narrated, pointing at the corner behind him. "Where?" Nico asked in a confused voice. "There." Humphrey answered. "When?" asked Nico. "Now!" Humphrey announced. As if on cue, a cold wind blew in as a scary-looking rat in a cloak with a barbed tail came walking down the street carrying a cane.

"And there he is, Cluny the Scourge," Humphrey introduced. The wind blew past them. "Say, is it getting colder out here?" questioned Nico shivering. Everybody on the street was avoiding this certain rat. The townsfolk had started singing as Cluny passed them by.

 **Robin Hood: When a cold wind blows it chills you, chills you to the bone.**

 **Maid Marian: But there's nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone.**

 **Frollo: It paints you with indifference like a lady paints with rouge.**

 **King Candy: And the worst of the worst**

 **Vanellope: The most hated and cursed**

 **King Candy: Is the one that we call Cluny.**

 **Charlie Brown: Unkind as many**

 **Lucy: And the wrath of many**

 **Charlie Brown: This is Cluny the Scourge.**

Cluny continued walking down the street as the crowd continued singing.

 **Crowd: Oh, there goes Mr. Humbug, there goes Mr. Grim, if they have a prize for being mean, the winner would be him. Oh, Cluny loves his money 'cause he thinks it gives him power.**

 **Veggie Tale Characters: If he became a flavor you can bet he would be sour.**

Bob the Tomato shook his head. "Yep, even we don't like him."

 **Three Kittens From Aristocats: There goes Mr. Skinflints, there goes Mr. Greed,**

 **Timon and Pumbaa: The undisputed master of the underhanded deed.**

 **Bagheera, Kovu, and Mulan: He charges folks a fortune for his dark and drafty houses. As poor folk live in misery;**

 **Mouskewitzes Family: It's even worse for mouses.**

"Please Sir, I want some cheese," Fievel begged as Cluny walked passed them without even giving them a glance.

Cluny walked by a group of Disney Princesses as they began to sing too:

 **Disney Princesses (Ariel, Rapunzel, and Aurora: He must be so lonely, he must be so sad; he goes to extremes to convince us he's bad! He's really a victim of fear and of pride, look close and there must be a sweet man inside...Nah!**

 **Crowd: There go es Mr. Outrage, there goes Mr. Sneer,**

 **Clopin: He has no time for friends or fun.**

 **Clopin Puppet: His anger makes that clear.**

 **Sid and Manny (Ice Age): Don't ask him for a favor 'cause his nastiness increases,**

 **Wiley Coyote: No crust of bread for those in need,**

 **Jaq and Gus (Cinderella): No cheeses for us meeces.**

"Cluny liked the cold; he was hard and sharp as a flint. Secret and self-contained, as solitary as an oyster," Humphrey narrated walked passed them.

 **Crowd: There goes Mr. Heartless, there goes Mr. Cruel. He never gives, he only takes, he lets his anger rule.**

 **Simba and Nuka: If being mean's a way of life you practice and rehearse,**

 **King Candy: Then all that work is paying off,**

 **Three Little Pigs: 'Cause Scourge is getting worse!**

Cluny had reached his destination: The counting house, previously belonging to his partners, Shere Kahn Marley and Gutt Marley.

 **Crowd: Every day in every way, Scourge is getting worse!**

Then Cluny turned toward the crowd, scowling deeply. That caused the crowd to scatter. "Oh, boy, look at the time! I gotta bail!" Simba yelped, as he and Nuka walked off. "Hey, dear, they're selling Christmas turkey over at that far part of the street!" said Robin Hood to Maid Marian.

Cluny scoffed unpleasantly. "Humbug!" he muttered and walked inside the building and closed the door.

 **I shall try to post the next chapter pretty soon, as I finish the seventh chapter in my HTTYD/Inside Out crossover. See you soon!**


	2. Stave 2: Bah Humbug!

"Wow, what an unpleasant fella!" Nico exclaimed, shaking his head in disgust. Humphrey nodded and continued narrating. "He was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Clun-" Humphrey stopped narrating as he noticed how dirty the office window was, and he couldn't see through. "Seesh! This really is a dirty city." said Humphrey. "Ha, you're telling me." Nico agreed. Humphrey suddenly picked up Nico and began using him to wipe the windows, getting his yellow feathers all filthy. "Thank you for making me a part of this," Nico grunted as Humphrey dropped him into the snow. "He was a tight-fisted hand to the grindstone, Cluny. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covenants old sinner," Humphrey resumed, looking into the now clean window.

Meanwhile in the office Cluny encountered his underpaid clerk, Discord, who was with a client named Mr. Ping. "Discord, who is this?" growled Cluny, pointing his cane at Mr. Ping. The duck quaked under his stare. "I-it's Mr. Ping, sir. "He's here to speak to you about his...mortgage." said the draconequus nervously. "Please, Mr. Scourge, I know you're very angry about this, and I didn't mean to fall behind in the payment, lord knows it being Christmas and all," Mr. Ping rambled on. "Oh please don't shout at me, sir! That, and of course, my son Po, his lungs aren't right. The doctor gets his share, don't he? I mean, you can scream and yell all you want, I'm not the stone you can squeeze blood from, and that's the trruuuutthh!" Cluny had just thrown Mr. Ping out the door, not wanting to hear about his stupid situation. "Thanks for not yelling at me!" Mr. Ping called from outside the building. Cluny slammed the door shut.

The rest of his employees, who were all ponies nervously continued their work, not wanting to anger Cluny more. "Let us deal with the invocation notices for tomorrow, Discord," Cluny told him. "B-but tomorrow's Christmas, sir!" Discord protested. "Very well, you may gift-wrap them," Cluny sneered, handing Discord an enormous pile of papers. "Wow, there sure are a lot today," Discord said trying to hold up all the papers. All the pony workers offered to help. "Be careful, though. It's pretty heavy," Discord warned. "We've got this!" Rainbow Dash reassured him. The pony staff staggered under the weight as they all tried to hold it up.

"Christmas is a very busy time for us, Discord," Cluny said sitting down at his desk. "People and animals preparing feasts, giving parties, and spending the mortgage on presents," he continued. "One might say that December is the fore closer season, harvest time for the money lenders."

"Go ahead, ask him!" said a purple alicorn called Twilight Sparkle as she nudged Discord, who approached nervously. All the ponies were hiding behind Discord now. "If you please, Mr. Scourge, it has gotten colder, and the book-keeping staff would like to have an extra shovel full of coal for the fire?" Discord asked. "We can't do the book-keeping," Applejack complained while shivering. "Our pens have turned into inkcicles," Rainbow Dash added, her teeth chattering. "And our assets are frozen!" Pinkie Pie whimpered, shivering pitifully. "How would the book keepers like to be suddenly, UNEMPLOYED?! Cluny bellowed. "Heat wave!" all the ponies yelled now dressed in hula skirts and other Hawaiian attires and started singing as they hula back to their desks.

 **Ponies: This is my island in de sun! Where have my people have tolled since time begun!**

"I've believe you convinced them once again, Mr. Scourge," Discord said to Cluny also returning to his desk. Unknowing to any of them, Humphrey and Nico were watching from the outside.

"At that moment, who should arrive at the door but Cluny's nephew Matthias, his only living relative," Humphrey narrated. "Nephew Matthias? I don't see him," Nico said, looking around. "Trust me," Humphrey reassured his friend. And right on cue, Matthias had appeared, looking very merry and joyful. "Hello, Uncle!" Matthias greeted as he opened the door. Unfortunately, the door slammed right into Nico as he opened it, and Nico fell headfirst into the snow. "Nico?" said Humphrey, looking concerned. "You're very good at that, Mr. Blazefire!" Nico grumbled, his voice muffled by the snow.

"A Merry Christmas to you, Uncle, God save you!" Matthias greeted holding a wreath in his paws. "Merry Christmas?" scoffed Cluny. "Bah, Humbug!" Nico leaped out of the snow. "Quick! It will be warmer in there!" Nico exclaimed as he and Humphrey slipped into the building right when Matthias was about to close the door. "Christmas a humbug Uncle? Oh, you don't mean that, surely?" Matthias asked. "Actually, I think it's colder in here," Nico complained softly.

"Merry Christmas, you say. What right of you to be merry? You're poor enough," Cluny snapped. "What right of you to be dismal and cold-hearted? You're rich enough!" Matthias answered back. "He's got him! The old rat's speechless!" Nico said triumphantly.

"If I could make out my will, every idiot that goes around with a Merry Christmas on his lips, would be cooked with their own turkey and buried with a steak of holly through his heart!" Cluny stated coldly. "Well, almost speechless," Nico whispered, shaking his head. "But Uncle!" Matthias in a shocked tone. "Nephew, you keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine! End of story!" Cluny finished sharply. Matthias narrowed his eyes. "Christmas is a loving, honest, charitable time. It may not have put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket but Christmas has done me good and will do me good and I say, God bless it!" Matthias exclaimed, standing firm to his belief in Christmas.

"Yeah!" cheered all the ponies, agreeing with Matthias. "And how does one celebrate Christmas on the UNEMPLOYMENT LINE!?" Cluny bellowed, threatening the book keepers who all yelped and nervously returned to their work.

Nico and Humphrey were trying to stay warm by the fire but it was not lighting up very well due to the lack of coal in the place. "Now it was customary on Christmas Eve for well-meaning people to call upon business, collecting donations for the poor and homeless," Humphrey explained to the readers. At that moment a young teen Viking and a black dragon entered the building. They were non other than our favorite Viking, Hiccup and his pet Night Fury, Toothless.

"Mr. Scourge, I presume?" questioned Hiccup, as Toothless walked beside him, letting out a guttural growl. "Who are you?" demanded Cluny bitterly. "We are from the Order of Berk Charity Foundation and we would like to speak to you about a donation," Hiccup answered. "Ah, welcome, young lad!" greeted Matthias warmly. "This jolly old gentleman is Mr. Scourge; he's very generous to charity!" "My dear nephew!" Cluny hissed at him. "At this time of year many of us feel we should take care of the poor and homeless," Hiccup explained. Toothless purred in agreement. "Are there no prisons, no poor houses?" Cluny asked in concern. "Oh, plenty of both, sir," Hiccup answered.

"Oh, good! For a moment there I was worried." Cluny said in a relieved voice. "Some of us feel we should raise money for the poor and the homeless," Hiccup continued. "Now what I might put you down for?" he asked, getting out a coal pencil and parchment. "Nothing," Cluny answered. "You wish to remain anonymous?" questioned Hiccup. "I wish to be left alone!" Cluny snapped at the viking and dragon. Toothless let out a surprised growl of shock.

"I do not make myself merry at Christmas." "That certainly is true," Matthias said sarcastically. "And I cannot afford to make idle people merry," Cluny finished. "That's certainly not true." "Don't you have other things to do this afternoon, my dear nephew?! snapped Cluny in annoyance at Matthias. "Sadly I do, Uncle. So I'll make my donation and leave you to make yours." Matthias said while giving Hiccup a one dollar coin. "Thank you so very much!" Hiccup said happily while Toothless suddenly nudged Matthias on the side gently, causing him to laugh and pet the dragon's head.

"Oh, Uncle, come and have dinner with me and Cornflower tomorrow," Matthias invited. "Why did you ever get married?" said Cluny in an annoyed voice. "Why? Because I fell in love," Matthias answered. "Ha-ha ha! That's the only thing in this world sillier than a Merry Christmas!" Cluny laughed.

"There's no use Unc,e I shall keep my holiday spirits to the last," Matthias said, not making Cluny's attitude get him down. "A Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!" Matthias proclaimed happily as he headed out the door. "Merry Christmas, Matthias," Discord said to Matthias. "Merry Christmas, Discord!" Matthias answered before he put a wreath on the door and left. "Humbug!" Cluny grumbled. There was a few seconds of silence in the office.

"Now then sir about the...donation?" Hiccup asked, a little nervous. "Now, let's see," Cluny began, getting up from his desk. "I know how to treat the poor. My taxes go to pay for the prisons and poor houses, the homeless must go there!" Hiccup gasped in horror at what Cluny just said. "But some would rather die!" he protested. "If they rather die, then they better do it, and decrease the surplus population!" Cluny said coldly. That's when Toothless let out an angry roar and pounced on Cluny, pinning the rat to the floor and ready to let loose a plasma blast. "Toothless, stop!" Hiccup yelled, pulling the Night Fury off. "I think that we have wasted Cluny's time already!" He managed to pull the struggling dragon out the door who was screeching furiously. Cluny staggered to his feet in fury and was just about ready to rip the wreath Matthias gave him to pieces when singing could be heard from outside

 **Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen**

 **When the snow lay around about deep and crisp and even**

Cluny opened the door revealing a baby dragon named Spike. He stopped singing when he saw Cluny glowering at him. "What do you want?" Cluny demanded. "Um, a penny for the song, governor?" Spike asked nervously. Cluny then just slammed the door in Spike's face. The baby dragon sadly walked away. But then the door opened again and Spike gasped in hope, thinking that Cluny would give him money, but was mistaken as he was hit full in the face by the Christmas wreath that Cluny threw out the door. Cluny then returned to his desk and resumed his work.

Night eventually came and the pony staff were finishing up their work before closing hour. "Excuse me, Cluny, but it appears to be closing time," Discord informed Cluny. "Very well, I'll see you at 8:00 tomorrow morning," Cluny replied. "Um, tomorrow is Christmas, sir." Discord protested. "8:30, then!" Cluny replied again. The ponies then started complaining that they won't be able to celebrate Christmas with their families.

"If you please, sir, half hour off isn't customary around Christmas Day," Discord explained. All the ponies agreed with him in unsion. "How much time is customary for for Christmas Day, Discord?" questioned Cluny. "Why...um...the whole day," Discord answered. "Yeah!" The Mane 6 agreed with Discord. "The entire day?" said Cluny in shock. "No, no," all the ponies then said. "It was the draconequus's idea." "Why bother opening the office tomorrow, Cluny?" Discored continued. "Other businesses will be closed. You'll have no one to do business with. Plus it will save a lot of expensive coal for the fire," Discord added. "He's got a point," said the ponies together.

"It's a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every December the 25th," Cluny said coldly. "Aww!" all the ponies said, disappointed. "But as I seem to be the only one here who knows that, so take the day off for all I care." Cluny finished. "Yaaaay!" the ponies and Discord cheered happily. "Will you STOP THAT?!" Cluny bellowed causing all the ponies to yelp and stop. "Thank you, Cluny." Discord said, grateful that Cluny gave him and the rest of his friends the day off tomorrow. "Be here earlier the next morning! Cluny said to the book keepers as he left the building and headed home.

"With their employer gone at last, Discord and the ponies immediately began that pleasant of activities, the celebration of Christmas," Humphrey narrated. "He's gone!" Applejack announced happily as she made sure their boss was gone for good. "Well everyone, let's close up for Christmas!" said Discord in a cheerful voice. All the ponies immediately began cleaning up as Discord began singing.

 **Discord: There's magic in the air this evening magic in the air. The world is at her best you know when people love and care. The promise of excitement is one the night will keep. After all, there's only one more sleep 'till Christmas.**

Pinkie Pie had a ridiculous idea of balancing the books better by holding every single one up at once, but failed as they all toppled down on her. Twilight laughed and used her magic to stack the books neatly. Discord swept the floor and continued singing.

 **Discord: The world has got a smile today the world has got a glow. There's no such thing as strangers when a stranger says 'hello'. And everyone is family, we're having so much fun. After all there's only one more sleep 'till Christmas.**

Everything was soon all clean as Discord and the ponies left the building.

 **Discord: Tis the season to be jolly and joyous. With a burst of pleasure, we fell it all right. Tis the season when the saints can employ us. To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive.**

Then they all heard the squawking of penguins (Happy Feet) as Mumble skated on the frozen road. "Hey, look! It's the Penguin's Christmas skating party!" Discord said as he spotted little Erik stumbling as he skated with Gloria.

"Hey, where did Discord go?" questioned Fluttershy, but got her answer as she saw him now skating on the ice. Rarity was quite impressed with his moves. "Yeehaw! Look at him go!" Applejack cheered, watching Discord twirling on the ice, while copies of himself were giving score 10/10. Discord eventually skated back to the others, who all cheered for him. "Thank you! Thank you very much!" Discord said, bowing just before Seymour and Lovelace suddenly crashed right into him and they all fell down. Everypony laughed at the situation.

"Wow!" Humphrey said in awe as he watched the penguins skate. He looked over at Nico. Nico shook his head. "No way! No way!" "Come on, Nico!" Humphrey persuaded, then started making himself slide on the ice really fast. "AAAAAHHHHH!" Nico screamed as the two slide right into a barrel, crashing into it. "Fun, huh?" Humphrey questioned, smirking at Nico who gave him death glare.

"Merry Christmas, Penguins!" called Discord and the penguins all yelled Merry Christmas back to them. Then they all started walking home.

 **Discord: There's something in the wind today that's good for everyone. Yes, faith is in our hearts today we're shining like the sun. And everyone can feel it, the feeling's running deep. After all there's only one more sleep 'till Christmas.**

All the ponies then wished Discord Merry Christmas and they walked back to their homes while Discord glances up at the cloudless night sky.

 **Discord: After all, there's only one more sleep 'till Christmas Day.**

A shooting star whooshed across the sky, and Discord thought he heard the star say, "Merry Christmas!" Discord shrugged it off as he sighed and started walking back home to his loving family. He passed Spike who was desperately trying to keep warm with the wreath that was thrown at him.

 **Whew! This was probably one of the longest chapters I'd ever written on here so far. I hope you all enjoyed it. I still don't own anything!**


	3. Stave 3: Marley and Marley

**Here's the next chapter of my parody. Enjoy!**

Cluny walked down the dark and cold streets until he reached his house. A horse-drawn carriage driven by Humphrey and Nico drove up beside the house. "Cluny lived in bed-chambers that once belonged to his old business partners, Shere Kahn and Gutt Marley." Humphrey narrated. "Want some bread?" Nico offered Humphrey. "Not while I'm working!" Humphrey snapped. "Okay, suit yourself," Nico said while munching on a roll.

"The building was a dismal heap of brik on a dark street. Now once again I ask you to remember that the Marleys were dead and decaying in their graves." "Yuck!" Nico shuddered in disgust. "That one thing you must remember, or that nothing follows would seem wondrous," Humphrey whispered. "Uh, why are you whispering?" Nico asked in a confused voice. "It's for dramatic emphasis," Humphrey explained. "Oh," Nico said thoughtfully.

Cluny walked up the stars to his house and was about to unlock the door when the knocker turned into a face, the face of his deceased partner, Shere Kahn! "Shere Kahn?" said Cluny in complete shock and disbelief. "CLUNY!" yelled the doorknob, causing the rat to yell in shock and fear and stagger backwards, making the horses frightened and run away, along with the narrators falling off the carriage. Nico noticed his friend wasn't moving. "Humphrey, speak to me!" he said, panicking. "I mean, Mr. Blazefire17! Are you hurt?!" suddenly, Humphrey sat up and continued narrating as if nothing had happened. "To say that Cluny was not startled would be untrue, but still the moment had passed, and the world was as it should be." "He ain't hurt, didn't even break his concentration!" Nico said in wonder. "Hm?" Humphrey asked. "Nothing." Nico answered. Cluny stared at the locker again. "Humbug," he muttered, opening the door and going inside.

"Come on, Nico. We'll follow him inside!" Humphrey called to Nico, who was digging through the snow. "In a minute! I have a little bag of chocolate covered cherries buried in here!" Nico said. "Will you just get over here?" Humphrey said impatiently. "All right," Nico grumbled. They were just about to walk in when the door closed right into Humphrey's face. "Uh, oh!" said Nico in a worried voice. Humphrey continued narrating through his pain. "Cluny made his way up the staircase, caring not a button for the darkness. Darkness was cheap, and Cluny liked it."

Cluny was holding a candle in his hands, and looking around nervously for any unusual activity. "But the incident at the door had made Cluny wary. Before he shut himself in for the night, he searched his rooms." Humphrey narrated in a dramatic voice. "Okay, that does it!" Nico snapped. "Pardon?" said Humphrey in confusion. "How do you know what Cluny's doing? We're down here and he's up there?" Nico asked. "I keep telling you, storytellers are omoniton, I know everything," Humphrey answered. Nico scoffed. "Hoity-toity, Mr. God-like smartypants." Humphrey sighed and shook his head. "To conduct a proper search, Cluny was forced to light the lamps." As he said it, the light in the upstairs room came on. "How does he do that?" said Nico in awe.

Cluny meanwhile was nervously looking around, holding out his cane. He saw something in the shadows and let out a yell, throwing to the ground and banging it with his cane. He looked at it more closely. "Oh, it's just my best dressing gown," Cluny said in relief. He looked at it more closely. "No harm done." He then sat down and began eating his dinner. Suddenly, the bell began to ring. Cluny glanced up, but saw nothing. He shrugged it off as his imagination and began eating again. Then the bell rang again, and Cluny glanced around, scared silly. At the stairs, there was a strange luminous glow. Then suddenly, two ghosts appeared, covered in chains. "Oh, look! It's Cluny the Scourge!" cried the tiger ghost with glee. "Looking older and more wicked than ever!" exclaimed the ape ghost with delight. "I knew he wouldn't disappoint us!" the ghost tiger said, then the two began laughing. Cluny stared at them, scared. "Who are you?" he asked suspiciously. "In life, we were your partners, Shere Kahn, and Gutt Marley!" said the ghost ape. "It looks like you, but I don't believe it!" snapped Cluny.

"Why do you doubt your senses?" Shere Kahn mocked. "Because of everything, can effect the stomach," Cluny said. "You may be a bit of undigested bit of beef, or a crumb of cheese. Yes, there's more of a gravy than a grave about you!" The two ghosts laughed again as they came closer. "More of gravy than a grave!?" laughed Gutt. "Where do you get these terrible puns?" Shere Kahn asked. "Leave these jokes to the bears, Cluny!" they both laughed again.

"Please, Shere Kahn, Gutt, don't criticize me!" Cluny begged. "You always criticized me!" he was very angry right now through his fright. "We were always heckling you," corrected Gutt. "It's good to be heckling again." "It's good to be doing anything again!" Shere Kahn added. The two laughed once again. "Why have you come to me?" said Cluny, now even more scared. The two ghosts began singing.

 **Shere Kahn and Gutt: We're Marley and Marley, averious and greed.**

 **Shere Kahn: We took advantage of the poor, just ignored the needy.**

 **Shere Kahn and Gutt: We specialized in causing pain, spreading fear and doubt.**

 **Gutt: And if you could not pay the rent, we simply through you out!**

"There was the year we evicted the entire orphanage!" Gutt brought up. "I remembered all the little tykes all standing in the snow bank," Shere Kahn remembered. "With their little frost-bitten teddy bears!" Gutt added as well. They laughed and then shuddered.

 **Shere Kahn and Gutt: We're Marley and Marley, our hearts were painted black.**

 **Shere Kahn: We should have known our evil deeds would put us both in shackles.**

 **SHere Kahn and Gutt: Captive, bound, we're double-ironed. Exhausted by the weight.**

 **Shere Kahn: As freedom comes with giving love,**

 **Gutt: So, prison comes with hate.**

As they continued singing, chains had risen up randomly.

 **Shere Kahn and Gutt: We're Marley and Marley, Whoooooooah. We're Marley and Marley. Whooooooooah!**

"But my friends, you were not unfeeling toward your fellow men," Cluny said. "True, there was something about mankind that we loved," Gutt said. "I think it was their money!" Shere Kahn added. The two began laughing as suddenly chains wrapped around Cluny, freaking him out as the two ghosts were now closer to him.

 **Shere Kahn and Gutt: Doomed, Cluny! You're doomed for all time.**

 **Gutt: Your future is a horror story, written by your crime.**

 **Shere Kahn and Gutt: Your chains are forged, by what you say and do.**

Then ghost money boxes suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

 **Ghost Boxes: So have your fun, when life is done, a nightmare waits for you!**

Cluny, more frightened than ever, struggled to get the chains off. "What are these terrible chains?" he said in terror. "Ooooh, the chains!" wailed Shere Kahn. "We forged these chains in life by our acts of greed!" Gutt cried, holding up the chains. "You wear such a chain yourself!" Shere Kahn added. "Humbug! Speak comfort to me, my friends!" Cluny begged. "Comfort, aaahhhhh! They both yelled out, the chains pulling them backward. "You will be haunted by three spirits," Shere Kahn explained to the frightened rat, whose legs wouldn't stop shaking.. "Haunted? I've already had enough of that!" Cluny said in fear. "Without these visits you cannot hope to escape from the path we tried!" Shere Kahn told Cluny. "Expect the first ghost tonight when the bell tolls one!" Gutt said to Cluny.

"Can't I just meet them all at once and get it over with?" Cluny asked, having enough of ghosts and chains. "When the bell tolls one!" Shere Kahn said, repeating Gutt's words. The two started singing again as they both began to disappear.

 **Shere Kahn and Gutt: We're Marley and Marley, Whoooooooah! We're Marley and Marley, Whooooooah! Change!**

And just like that, they were gone and Cluny was left alone, like nothing had happened. "And with that, the spirits of Cluny's partners vanished into the darkness, leaving him once again alone in his room," Humphrey narrated outside of Cluny's house. "Whoa, that's scary stuff, should we be worried about the kids reading this fanfic?" Nico said, worried that this might be too scary for them. "It's alright, this is culture," Humphrey reassured his friend. "Uh, okay then," Nico agreed, taking a small bag out of his coat pocket. "Uh, chocolate cherry? I had them in my pocket all along," Nico offered. Humphrey groaned in exasperation. "What?" Nico asked, confused.

 **Sorry this chapter took so long, I was hiking Bradbury Mountain today! :) I hope you like!**


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